From Yesterday
by Depraved Doll
Summary: Ianto struggles to deal with Jack's past when he's faced with a portion of it and he's aware that Jack's secrets could tear them apart, the 456 weigh down on them and he has to have faith in the man he loves if only for now, Janto CoE re write,
1. Chapter 1

**From Yesterday**

**Disclaimer- **Torchwood is not mine but if it was this was how series 3 would have gone, let me know what you think...

**Summary- '**There have been many of you, with your blue eyes and your determination, your desire to please; they all disappear sooner or later.' He just smiles at her, the cruelty in her eyes burns through him, he has to believe there's some humanity left in Jack... Janto (How COE should have been, the re write of series 3 from episode 3/4 just the first little bit)

_A/N- Well I have decided that I'll take a shot at saving the whole series not just Ianto (although he is a major and undeniably THE most important part of it lol) so I'm going from episode 3 of the third series and making it into what we were promised something that would make Janto fans 'very happy' cause last I checked happiness wasn't lots of tears and sorrow... just saying..._

_Enjoy and let me know what you think... and any ideas just drop them in a note and I'll see if I can incorporate, _

_Drama without death can it be?(shocked look)_

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_**Chapter one- my skin**_

They don't speak, not much right now anyway, they dance around each other, Ianto has the words on his lips, the questions, but he chooses to keep them to himself, if Jack had wanted to tell him he would have done so ages ago and it dawns on him now how little Jack actually tells them, him, about himself. Jack seems content in the silence, too busy drowning in his past and once again Ianto is confronted with their relationship and how fragile it is. Gwen grips his hand, squeezes it reassuringly, he smiles warmly at her despite himself, tears his gaze away the second the pity becomes too much.

Jack leaves the room, silence follows his exit, Ianto focuses on the laptop in front of him, he can feel the eyes on him, he turns to look at them all after a heartbeat. Gwen's eyes meet his and there's only one thing they all want to know from him.

"Ianto..." she begins, wrings her hands together nervously, "did you know, about all this?" he stares at her, those eyes wider than any he has ever had to stare into. He wishes that he could say that he did, because if he could then it wouldn't feel like such a betrayal, the rats would disappear from his stomach because he would have had the closure that Jack had trusted him with a little bit of the truth behind himself, all those years wouldn't be such a mystery to him, he would know a bit more about Captain Jack Harkness than everyone else. Instead he just uses a small smile to hide his pain,

"No, not until just now, don't know any more than anyone else," it's an admission to himself as much as it is to anyone else and not one that he's thrilled to make. He hears Jack's footsteps echoing not that far away,

"I'm sorry Ianto," she says with a small smile that he'll never see with his back to her, he's fixing his stoic mask into place, hiding behind the perfectly manicured suit, he taps at the keys looking through files and burying himself in work as he has always done when things become too much for him. Gwen sits Clem down on the couch holds his hands in her own, calms him as Jack appears in the doorway. He's all front and business as he stands there before them,

"Any new information?" He asks, looks longingly at the back of Ianto's head, like there's something he's dying to say but that he can't get to slip past the lump in his throat.

"No, not yet," Ianto says and turns away from the computer, his eyes meet Jack's for the briefest of moments before he rips them away and heads out of the room, slipping past Jack and into the large open area with the covered windows. He hadn't expected Jack to follow him but the Captain appears in front of him, smiles in an apologetic manner, there is no smile in response from Ianto even though part of him wanted nothing more than to give it to the elder male. "Was there anything else, Sir?" and it's 'sir' again blunt and painstakingly distant, none of the playful banter in his voice, none of the warmth in his eyes.

"It was a long time ago Ianto," he says and he's not sure if he's trying to justify what he did or why he didn't tell him or if he's just stating the fact.

"Does that make it easier for you to bury Jack? Did you not care enough to remember? Or did you not think that we... that I... deserved to know, what else have you been hiding from us Jack? How little do Gwen and I know about you? Do we even know anything? Maybe its best that we don't," Ianto says and it's not in a shout, he doesn't sound angry but Jack knows that he is, that he's hurt, Ianto stares at him for a pregnant moment and then he turns and goes to leave.

"I have a daughter," Ianto stops mid-step and he's glad that he has his back to the other male because it means that he can't see the tears welling up in his eyes, "she's called Alice," the younger's back stiffens at the information, Jack's heart sticks tightly in his throat and desperation seeps into his words, the need to convince Ianto that he's ready to be honest, to take them seriously. "She has a son, my grandson, he's called Steven," Ianto closes his eyes, the tears spill onto his cheeks and he doesn't wipe them away because it would alert Jack to their existence. "Frobisher took them hostage yesterday,"

"We'll get them back for you," Ianto says without looking back, his nails biting into the soft flesh of his palms to stop the strain from coating his words. He doesn't know how to feel over the revelation, is he meant to be grateful for the information? He doesn't feel grateful he feels burdened by it, just another little thing Jack had neglected to tell him all this time and he's stood in the revelation that their whole relationship is false. He feels older than he is and he thinks he should escape Torchwood and Jack Harkness whilst he still can. He walks away without looking back and Jack just watches him disappear from sight.

He feels guilty, all the things that he's kept from his team, his lover, thinking that they would never spill over, never come back to haunt him and now here they stand on his doorstep and ripping gaping holes into a relationship that had made him so happy. He swallows the sorrow because that's what he has to do, he has to be strong he has to stare this threat down, then he can place the pieces of his life back together, he can fix what he broke and he can make everything better for everyone, at least that's what he hopes.

When they find their way back into the main room, Gwen, Rhys and Clem are standing round the computer, Lois Habbiba and the other Civil servants are stood around the tank once again, crowded around, like children at a funfair staring at something so horrific that you just can't tear your eyes away from no matter how much you try. They've sent a man in a hazmat suit into the container with the creatures, the camera pans over them, they watch him as the camera searches the haze, the camera falls on something slumped in a corner, a child, hooked up to the alien, still a child. Gwen gasps, eyes wide in horror, Clem's crying, Ianto's stoically look's away, Rhys stares horrified at the screen and Jack takes a step back because for years he'd hoped that what the alien's had promised for the children was true, that they were happy, it had made it easier for him.

"I'm heading out," he grabs a cell phone off the side, "I'm going to lure agent Johnson to you, keep her here for as long as you can, show her what they're doing, get Lois to tell them Torchwood are coming," he demands grabbing his coat, "Rhys take the evidence and run, we might need this leaked, or at least the threat of leaking it," he explains and looks at Gwen and Ianto,

"You two stay here, keep watching any new information relay it to me immediately," He all but demands as he grabs the car keys and heads for the door,

"Do you want me to come?" Ianto asks and Jack shakes his head to indicate a 'no'

"No Ianto, I've got to do this myself, demons to face down I guess you could say, I made a mistake a long time ago and now I've got to put it right." He explains jogging towards the door, he glances back at the younger male as he opens it, "Ianto," soft blue eyes fix onto him, a hint of worry shimmering in the pale depths, "I'm sorry," he says and disappears with the slam of a door.

"He'll be fine Yan," Gwen assures him as she begins unplugging one of the laptops, she closes it and hands it to Rhys, she kisses him and squeezes his hand,

"Go Rhys, keep away from camera's as much as you can, don't call me I'll call you when it's safe," She says and forces the laptop into his arms, he takes it because he doesn't have much of a choice.

"I can't leave you here, what if you get hurt?" she hugs him again,

"I'll be fine Rhys, Ianto is here, we're going to be ok, we have the upper hand, we need you to go, if they know you're out there with all this evidence they won't touch us. I need you to do this for me Rhys, please sweetheart," she grips his hand so tightly he's worried she might break it. He nods and kisses her, it's enough to knock her off of her feet, "stay safe," she says with tears in her eyes, he kisses the top of her head and nods.

"I will if you will," he says with a smirk and then turns to Ianto, "shoot the shit out of anyone who comes near her ok mate?" Ianto smiles and nods, Rhys turns away and wipes a few of the tears away from his eyes as he grips the laptop for dear life and heads towards the door. As it slams shut Gwen turns to look at Ianto the worry obvious in her eyes, he envelops her in a comforting hug, they don't say anything as the whole warehouse falls into silence. They feel as though they've been stood there for hours on end before Gwen heads back over to the computer, Lois now standing in front of the prime minister, she types quickly,

'_We need you to alert them to Torchwood's involvement, tell them you're Torchwood, tell them we're coming,' _

She knows that the woman will hesitate its only natural, she's putting her career, her life, in danger, Ianto is standing over her holding his breath as he traces Jack's progress over London in his head, his heart is pounding in his chest and he thinks he can hear Gwen's.

'_You have to tell them now, tell them we've filmed it all, everything they've all said we've recorded,' _

Gwen types and waits again, Clem is cooing slightly beside her, gnawing away at his nails, Ianto is still holding his breath.

'_Please Lois tell them' _

After a handful of moments the woman steps forward, speaking quietly at first and then demanding more attention, she explains it all and Gwen smirks at their reactions, she smiles broadly and spins in her chair to look at Ianto, they high five as the phone rings, Ianto answers it.

"I'm almost at Thames house," Jack says over the crackling telephone line, "has Lois told them we're coming," he can hear Jack's footsteps on the concrete.

"She's told them everything," Ianto says and he knows that they have to keep talking that agent Johnson will be being dispatched any minute now. "Do you think this is wise Jack, do you think it will work?"

"It's the only plan we've got," Jack explains and that wasn't the answer Ianto was looking for,

"Maybe we should take more time thinking this over," Ianto almost pleads and once just once he wants Jack to listen to him, he knows that he won't.

"Too late sorry, it's now or never, I'm making a stand Ianto," He explains, "I'm sorry Ianto, for never telling you," he says briefly and before Ianto can say anything else the line goes dead. He shrugs when Gwen gives him a questioning look and simply says,

"They're coming," he instructs and starts dialling his sister's number on the phone, "I have to call Rhi tell her to keep the kids at home, she has to keep them safe" he says and Gwen nods in understanding. He dials and speaks, tells Rhiannon not to trust what the Government are saying to make sure no-body takes Mischa and David from her, that it's all lies, after that he sits next to Gwen with their hearts thundering in his chest. He finds her hand and squeezes it gently, now all they can do is sit and wait, wait for agent Johnson to come running in with her army, pointing guns at them. Wait for Jack to get to Thames house, wait to find out if all hell is about to break loose.

Their holding their breaths all the while, Clem just rocks back and forth silently,

_**XxxxXxxxX**_

Jack storms into Thames house and all but throws his gun on the desk, he announces himself as Torchwood, holding all the conviction he's not sure if he still possesses. They look at him, hold the guns for a second longer than is needed and then step aside and let him through. He walks through the corridors, great coat billowing like the cape of a superhero, people watch him in awe and he makes his way through the maze like corridors. He's tall, handsome and has the shadow of a smirk on his lips as he slips into the elevator,

He steps into the room were the 456 have taken residence, stands in front of it and takes a deep breath, this is it, this is what he's been waiting for, the chance to get back at them, to tell them no more that they can't mess with Earth anymore because Captain Jack Harkness is looking after it. He's taking on the Doctor's role and hoping he can do the man proud,

"You're not getting any more children," he says with all the power and confidence that makes him who he is. These creatures have haunted him for long enough and he's had enough of it, "we're not listening to your threats anymore, humanity will not stand by and let you take their children, you'll have a war on your hands if you carry on with this. I suggest you turn tail and run," Jack says with a smirk, there is silence from the creature who sit in the mist, "well?" the Captain prompts, they sway slightly in the hazy chamber,

"**You yielded before," **they hiss at him from behind the glass, Jack chuckles to himself,

"The demand is too great this time, that and we thought it was a onetime agreement, we're not going to roll over to you this time," Jack explains, hands on his hips and a frown ghosting across his face, he's all business,

"**You yielded before," **they sound more desperate now but Jack's not sure if he's just forcing an emotion onto them, they lash out at the glass once again, thrashing against it violently, he steps back slightly finding himself disgusted by them.

"I said no," Jack all but snarls, they hiss back,

"**That is not an option you yielded before," **

"The number is too great this time, we're saying no," Jack all but growls at them, they fall silent for a few seconds before moving closer to the glass, to the speaker, to Jack, he stands his ground.

"**This is unacceptable, we have released a virus into the building, all these people will die, you will die and tomorrow your government will give us the children that we have asked for, if they do not your whole world will perish." **They tell him as the alarms start to buzz loudly, he stops for a second, the information digesting as the screams start and the building seals itself off. He's done it again, charged in guns blazing and now hundreds of people are going to die and it's all his fault, his fault and nothing he can do to stop it. He runs out of the room he stares at the guards stood in front of him and does what he does best in a crisis, barks orders.

"We need hazmat suits and gas masks and we need them now, go!" He demands as the people charge through the corridors a girl runs into him, she grips at his arm to keep her balance as her ankle gives out in her heels, her eyes are wide, wider than Gwen's when you say no to her, her breathing is laboured. She's beautiful, dark hair and dark eyes, young, no more than twenty-one, her whole life ahead of her, she's crying,

"We can't get out they've sealed us in," she tells him though she doesn't know why, she regains her balance thanks to him and he holds her steady, this handsome stranger who she knows does not work here, he wonders if she knows that this is his fault, by the way she holds onto him he'd guess that she doesn't have a clue.

"It's going to be ok," Jack tells her as the tears well in the almost black depths of her eyes,

"I just started yesterday, mum and dad were so proud, never been proud of anything else I'd done before this," she all but whispers to him, he's heard it before a million times, the desperate admissions of a dying man, he tells her that she's going to be ok but his eyes tell her that she won't. "I have a little boy," she whispers, her legs giving way beneath her, "he's so beautiful, the best mistake I ever made, I don't want to leave him. He won't remember me, he's too young to be able to," she mutters more to herself, her palms push against the floor, some ingrained desperation to keep moving, to survive. Jack's eyes bear a wall of tears for a woman he may have never known,

"How old is he?" It's familiar and it's something to take her mind off of the here and now even as the poison starts to seep into Jack's own mind and all he can really think it 'thank God Gwen and Ianto didn't come' she tells him that it's his second birthday in September. He stores that away somewhere in the recesses of his mind, feels it's the least he can do. He tells her this is all his fault, that if he wouldn't have come she would have been ok, he thinks if he'd have told her a minute earlier, before the virus had attacked her central nervous system, she would have slapped him. Instead it seems that words have lost their meaning and she's babbling, ranting at him like he's a long lost friend, he grips her hand, hopes it will help. He'll wake up from this soon and she won't, this young beautiful vibrant woman will cease to exist, to breathe, to smile, Jack can't explain what it's like to watch someone die, even if it's someone he barely knows it burns, because he's lived a thousand of their lifetimes and he'd give anything to give them the chance to see out the only one they have but he can't.

Her grip tightens against his hand, then loosens a little, her eyes are wide, vacant, he stares into them for a moment before it becomes too much for him, he gently pushes them closed before detangling himself from the girl, the weight of his immortality crushing him. He finds his way back into the room with the 456 stands before them with his Webley drawn and swaying slightly as his eyes blur,

"**The remnant will be disconnected..." **they hiss and the screeching starts, harsh and loud,

"If these people die here today then so will you," he promises with a slight waver in his voice, he fires, keeps firing until the bullets run out and the gun jams, he throws it down on the floor and screams, screams into the floor because he feels like wherever he goes, whatever he does he brings death, he screams for Rose, for the Doctor, the Tardis, screams for his mortality, his innocence, the ability to give in to the darkness and leave the fight behind. "Pray I don't wake up this time," he whispers to them as his vision swims in black, "I do, I hope you kill me for real this time, but if you don't... if my eyes force themselves open against the darkness, if the air fills my lungs, I will come for you, I will kill you, on behalf of these people here, I will see to it that you die a horrible painful death, you will not get anything more from this planet than an execution... I promise," he whispers as his vision fails and he passes out on the cold tiles of the floor.

_**XxxxXxxxX **_

Agent Johnson rushes into the warehouse serving as the Torchwood command centre; an army of trained assassins follow her in, intent on following every order without question. She stands in the middle of the room, points her gun at Gwen, Ianto points his back at her, several men swarm round him, their fingers poised over the triggers of their semi-automatics and he doesn't stand a chance but what did that ever matter to Torchwood, he stands his ground. Gwen smiles at the woman,

"Put the gun down and step away from the computers," Agent Johnson demands, neither Gwen nor Ianto listen to her, instead Gwen offers her a seat.

"I would put your guns down if I were you, see my wonderful, handsome, husband is out there right now with one of our laptops which has on its memory footage of everything that has happened today, everything your government has said and done. If he doesn't hear from me, he will go straight to the media with it, you'll never contain something like that, hell will spill out onto the streets, have you ever seen parents set to protect their children? They will stop at nothing, no gun will stop them, they will lay down their own lives to keep their children save, you will not win. So sit down, sit down and look at who you're working for, take a good hard look, listen to what we have heard and tell me that you're fighting for the right side, that you condone this." Gwen whispers, her words icy, as she lifts the volume on the computer,

Agent Johnson listens, despite herself, she knows this could be a trick, that they could have set it all up but as she watches everything unfolding on the computer screen she knows that it's not. She knows that this is the world, these are the officials that the people of the world elected to represent them and there they sit sending the children they're meant to protect to their deaths, she watches and bites back the emotions as they defend their own, sacrifice the children of the poorer working class people, like her mother and father had been, struggling to get by each day and taking comfort in the smiles of their children who made it all worth it. She fights against her training, her humanity, that maternal instinct that she had forced into the darkest corner of her mind; she knows that she has fought for something that she can never condone.

Ianto watches her as she watches the screen, as the truth comes crashing down on her, she motions for the men surrounding him to put their guns down and when they do Ianto does the same to his firearm. There's silence for a moment as the weight of everything crashes down on each of them, and then hell breaks loose. Clem starts screaming, gripping his head he moves to the back of the warehouse as if trying to escape the noise that screams in his head, blood starts to seep from his nose and ears and Gwen grips him tightly, rocking him back and forth comfortingly as he screams out in pain.

"What's going on?" Ianto accuses Agent Johnson, grabbing his gun once again and removing the safety, training it on her; she holds up her hands and pleads ignorance.

"It's not me," she explains and he believes her, the look in her eyes, it's the same look in Gwen's, terrified and uncertain, he lowers the gun and studies the computer screen, loads up a news feed that's being broadcast,

"It's them... It's Thames house," he begins looking back at Gwen, "it's sealed shut, they leaked a virus, it's in shut down, all those people... Jack..." He glances back at Gwen and Clem who's screaming slows until it stops, he doesn't move, just lies in Gwen's arms. She lies him down gently, steps away with tears glistening in her eyes and asks Ianto why. He merely shrugs, he doesn't know why, "they killed him, they're hiding something," it's the thing that makes the most sense to him, he looks at Agent Johnson, "we need to get in there, we need access to Jack's family," he demands and he thinks he sounds more like Jack than he intended but this is it now. This is plan B that they haven't even had the chance to establish and the worlds about to fall apart outside because now, now the government follow through with their plan.

In a few hours they'll take millions of children away from their parents, no real explanation, they'll lie, say it's for the best but no one really has the choice to say no. They're giving in; throwing in the towel and it's the people on the lowest rung of the ladder that are permitted to suffer. He closes his eyes to it all for a pregnant moment, prays that Rhi fights a good fight, knows she doesn't stand a chance over what's coming.

Knows that they don't stand a chance, Jack failed, what chance do they have, Gwen grips his hand, meets his eyes and this is it, this is Torchwood, the line of defence when the Doctor is absent. A small army that may or may not follow them, a handful of guns, no leader, no direction, Gwen's staring at him with wide uncertain eyes and he doesn't want the responsibility she's pushing onto him. They hold tightly to each other's hands, wish that Tosh and Owen were still around, that Jack had left them with more instructions that the weight of the world didn't rest solely on their shoulders.

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_Well there is it, and Ianto lives! Amazing how that can happen isn't it, I know it was quite fast paced but I found that was true of CoE, well next time we're in for all that 'drama makes you bleed' that RTD loves so much, hope I made you all proud with this and gave you something new to believe in, _

_Hope you enjoyed and let me know what you thought and if I should continue..._

_xx_


	2. Chapter 2

**From Yesterday**

**Disclaimer- **Torchwood is not mine but if it was this was how series 3 would have gone, let me know what you think...

**Summary- '**There have been many of you, with your blue eyes and your determination, your desire to please; they all disappear sooner or later.' He just smiles at her, the cruelty in her eyes burns through him, he has to believe there's some humanity left in Jack... Janto (How COE should have been, the re write of series 3 from episode 3/4 just the first little bit)

_A/N- well here is the second chapter I hope you enjoy, thank you to all the people who have faved and now a little message to the reviewers..._

**DemonicGleam****-** Glad you liked and I agree CoE should have been more like this and less kill the best character, here's the second chapter that you asked for, hope you like it,

**SexySiri****- **Glad that you think it's a good story, hope you enjoy this new chapter with more of a very much alive Ianto,

**xAKANEx****- **Thank you for the review and the kind words, hope you enjoy this chapter just as much

**JantoForever21****- **Never apologize for a rant, I love rants lol, thanks for the kind words and I agree Ianto should never have been killed off, hope you like the new chapter

This is for all of you...

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_**Chapter Two**_

When he wakes up its Gwen's eyes that wait for him, she's sat beside the red body bag, glancing around at the hundred more and wondering who they all were, who will be missing them, crying for them, devastated by the loss, who were their families what were their stories? Her eyes are wide and her hands are clenched tightly, she meets his gaze and smiles warmly if a little distantly. He smiles back and he's not sure if he's surprised that Ianto's not there or not. She seems to notice his thought pattern and her smile grows a little bit.

"He's with Agent Johnson," he nods and pull's himself from the red body bag, standing and brushing off his coat and Gwen knows what he's thinking, what they're all thinking, this could have been the end for one of them, her or Ianto, falling to the job just as Owen and Tosh had less than a year ago. She bites back the tears and rises to her feet, taking the hand that Jack offers to her,

"How is he?" Jack asks as they walk through the eerily silent room to the door, she shrugs and looks up at him, smiles once again but it doesn't meet her eyes and fall's as quickly as it had appeared.

"Ok, I think, seems a little quiet but that's Ianto all over isn't it," she doesn't look at him as she pushes open the door and steps through Jack following, "they killed Clem, some sort of frequency I think, it was horrible. He'd suffered so much Jack," and she didn't mean for it to be some sort of guilt trip on the other but she imagined that it probably had sounded like it had.

"What's happening now?" Jack asks as he takes off in front of her, large strides allowing for her to fall behind somewhat. She shrugs but he doesn't see it, doesn't turn back to look,

"I guess they start rounding up the children, Lois has been locked away so we don't really know all that much, Ianto probably knows more." She offers and he nods, they head for the door and are stopped by a guard, Jack announces them as Torchwood, the man doesn't move away and Jack thinks he's just about had enough of not being able to do what he wants when he wants.

"For God's sake, the world's about to fall apart and you're refusing to let me go because why?" Jack asks, running a hand through his hair, he starts lecturing the young guard as a handful of others appear, Gwen's phone rings and she flip's it open, tells Jack that it's Ianto. He stops his lecture and his eyes light up somewhat, he waits beside her,

"Ok, I'll let him know... think we're going to be here for a bit longer... thanks Yan... you too, see you soon." She hangs up the phone and Jack seems to pout a little bit but it disappears in the blink of an eye so she's not entirely sure she didn't imagine it. "He's going with Agent Johnson to where they're holding your family," Gwen whispers so that the guards don't hear her, he nods but he's not sure how he feels about it, he didn't even tell Ianto about them until a few days ago, he thinks he should have introduced them a long time ago but the time for what if's has most definitely passed.

"Sir if you'd please follow us, Mr Frobisher would like a word with you," one of the guards said, gun in hand as he waited for a response, Jack looked from the guard to Gwen, she smiled warmly and nodded, motioning for Jack to lead the way. She's nervous but she doesn't show it, she's Torchwood and she needs to be strong even if the world around her is falling to pieces. Right now all she really wants is Rhys, to hold his hand and have him tell her that everything is going to be ok, the weight of the world is an incredibly large burden to bear, she wonders how the Doctor copes, how Jack copes.

They walk through the corridors of Thames house in silence, the place weighs heavy on his heart, the 456 still sit upstairs, waiting eagerly for their prize to be delivered and Jack's ready to take it all on. He takes up a seat across from Frobisher, stares him down and realises that this is not a bad man, this is a good man put in a bad position because the real bad men don't want to get their hands dirty. The man talks and Jack listens but his mind keeps drifting to Ianto, to how he could have gotten him killed less than a day ago, to how brave he has become, how determined and strong, Jack's faced now with the knowledge of how fragile Ianto's life is and it freezes him to the core.

Frobisher explains the governments plan Gwen's horrified and pulls the Rhys card, it leaves a bitter taste in Jack's mouth but they're overpowered and there's no sense in making everyone suffer, Gwen and Rhys can weather this, they can leave now and forget it all, live their lives, nice house, fancy car, white picket fence and two or three children.

"Phone Rhys Gwen, tell him that we've lost, that it's time for you to go home," Jack explains and squeezes her hand reassuringly when she looks uncertain, she walks away from the table looking more than a little defeated, she does as she was instructed and when's she far enough away that Jack's sure she won't be able to hear him he turns to Frobisher,

"Look, I don't care what you do to me, detain me in whatever cell's you see fit, but Gwen, send her home, back to Cardiff with her husband, let them go, I can't stand the sight of them anymore. Do this for me and I'll go willingly, do whatever you want, just please send them home." He wants to send Ianto as well, get him as far away as possible, keep him safe, wrap him up in cotton wool and never let him out of his sight but the boys got away from him, chucked himself unnecessarily into the line of fire. All he knows is that he has to get to him, to Alice before the whole world crashes in on itself.

_**XxxxXxxxX**_

Frobisher does as Jack had asked, he sends Gwen and Rhys back to Cardiff by helicopter, she hugs Jack goodbye atop the roof as the blades swirl ferociously above their heads. He leans in close, one last message to his friend before the insanity of humanity slaps her harshly in the face,

"Ianto has a sister and a niece and nephew, go to them, save them," she nods and kisses his cheek before turning and running into the helicopter, the cuffs are secured around Jack's wrists and the guard from earlier leads him in the direction of the cells, Jack closes his eyes briefly hopes that Ianto can find a way out of this, save him, help him save the world from itself. He has faith in his young lover and hopes that Alice doesn't push all the hatred for him onto the younger.

Lois Habbiba shouts his name from a cell not too far from his, he doesn't know what to say to her, what advice to offer, he'll help her afterwards repay her for what she did for Torchwood, but that's all that he can do, she has no future in Torchwood, but they can always use contacts.

_**XxxxXxxxX**_

Ianto follows Agent Johnson to the cell's where she had placed Alice and Stephen, he's spent a long time talking to the woman on their way here, trying to persuade her that Jack could help he could fix everything, put a stop to it all and it seemed that it had paid off, she was listening to him, trusting him. She wasn't a bad person, Ianto knew that, she had been tricked into what she had done, led to believe that Torchwood were terrorists. She has been doing her job and Ianto couldn't resent her for that no matter how much he tried.

The woman unlocks and opens the large door, she smiles at Alice and steps aside to let Ianto inside, the elder woman surveys him quizzically, Stephen waves at the new face who smiles and waves back, Agent Johnson asks him if he wants to go and play football with some of her men, he nods excitedly and she takes his hand.

"Alice this is Ianto Jones from Torchwood, he wanted to talk to you," she turns to Ianto, "come and find us when you're ready," she squeezes his arm and then leaves the small cell with Stephen in toe, Ianto sighs and takes a seat on the opposite side of the room to Alice, he smiles warmly at her and see's Jack when he does. It unnerves him slightly, this woman, older than he is, is the daughter of the man he loves, kept hidden from him for so long, he hates Jack for the things that he's kept from him.

"Hello Alice," He extends his hand, she accepts the gesture but doesn't seem too happy about it, pulls her hand back quickly as if the touch burned.

"Did my father send you?" She asks, folding her arms over her chest and staring at him imploringly, she can't help thinking how this man is just her father's type and how he'll break him down, destroy his spirit like he's done with many more.

"No, he was a bit tied up, but he was coming for you," he explains, smiles at her and receives nothing back in return.

"Don't think you're anything special," Ianto raises an eyebrow, "to my father," he doesn't respond merely listens to what she has to say.** "**There have been many of you, with your blue eyes and your determination, your desire to please; they all disappear sooner or later. Do you think he actually cares about you? He's never cared about anyone in his life except for when he wants something," He just smiles at her, the cruelty in her eyes burns through him, he has to believe there's some humanity left in Jack, "If you'd seen what he did to my mother you wouldn't sit there with that hope in your eyes," he stands and moves for the door,

"I came to help you, not to be insulted," he explains, "when you're ready to talk to me like an adult come and find me," she grabs his arm, stands in front of him and her eyes meet his,

"He'll do nothing but hurt you, you're so young, run whilst you can," she squeezes his hand and he stares into her eyes, he knows how Jack can hurt him, all the secrets he's kept burn in the younger's mind and it forces him to face the fact that he doesn't really know Jack at all. Doesn't know him but wants to keep his faith in him, believe in him for as long as he can.

"I don't know what he did to your mother but did you ever think it was for her best?" Ianto asks, "She died of natural causes didn't she? That's very rare for someone in our line of work, we usually don't live to see our pension, if Jack pushed her, you, away, it was to protect you from what we do, from the things that breathe down our necks on a daily basis. I know that I'm not the first and I know that the majority of the people before me died young, know I face a similar fate, so count your blessings, he's being cruel to be kind."

"What about you? Isn't he going to rescue you by pushing you away," Ianto smiles wistfully,

"Think he tried once, I can be quite stubborn," she folds her arms over her chest defensively Ianto thinks and he wonders what it's like for her, to look the same age as her father to see him with different people every decade. "Anyway, think I've convinced Agent Johnson to let you go, so feel free," he says and puts his hands in his pockets as he heads off in the direction he knew the woman to have gone, he hears the soft tap, tap of her shoes against the concrete and knows that he's intrigued her in some way, like father like daughter.

_**XxxxXxxxX**_

The door to the cell swings open, he glances up to see Ianto stood in the doorway, he smiles, a shadow of his normal smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes and despite the three other people stood behind him Jack grabs him and kisses him with everything that he's got. Ianto seems hesitant but he gives into the Captain, Jack's hands grip the younger's face and he rests his forehead against that of the younger's.

"I could have lost you," it's more of an admission to himself than a fact presented to Ianto, the younger holds his Captain despite how his mind screams against it. He kisses his cheek and brings the elders eyes up to meet his own,

"Not this time, we have to move," Ianto explains "they're rounding up the children now, the whole country is going mad Jack," Jack looks at him see's the fear shining in his eyes and he doesn't need to say it but Jack knows the fear he feels for his sister.

"Gwen and Rhys have gone to help," they head down the corridor, the guards guns swing against their hips, clanking against their bulletproof vests.

"Alice and Stephen are with Agent Johnson," he offers despite the fact that Jack has yet to ask and the elder nods, they walk the rest of the way in silence, the man Jack had seen yesterday when he had confronted the 456 appears next to them, follows them for a reason Jack can't work out right now, he grabs Ianto's hand, squeezes it tightly.

They travel to where Agent Johnson and her team have been working from slip into the room where said woman is sat with Alice; Stephen isn't there, just the two women and themselves. He takes off his coat and drops it over a nearby chair, his hand slips from Ianto's, back into hero mode. He seems to ponder on everything for a while running scenarios through his head.

Ianto offers to go check on Stephen; he still finds it hard being in the same room as the Captain, seeing him next to his daughter is the hardest thing he's ever had to do and if he let his nails bite into his palm any longer he may start to draw blood.

He sits in the large hall sits on a crate in the corner and breathes, his hands shake and he clasps them together afraid to let anyone aware of his sudden weakness. Stephen smiles at him from where he is playing football with the guards, Ianto waves at him, offers a small smile as the boy runs over to him. He'd thought a lot about Jack's past in their time together and strangely enough he'd never thought about this, never thought that he'd have to face Jack's family. It hurts and he's not entirely sure why,

"You're Uncle Jack's friend," he nods as the boy sits himself down next to him and realises that this child doesn't know that the Captain is his grandfather, that he's a fixed point in time and space, Jack lies to more people than just himself and he finds himself wondering where do they go from here. "Is he ok, mum was worried for a while," Ianto smiles warmly,

"He's fine, he's always fine," the boy nods and stares down at his hands,

"He doesn't visit much,"

"He's got a very important job, he's very busy, he wishes he could see you more," he doesn't think it's a lie not if Jack really is the man he loves and not the stranger he begins to feel more and more like with each passing day.

"Do you think he'll find time after all of this?" Ianto goes to speak but the commotion from down the hall draws his attention, he grabs his gun from the back of his trousers, removes the safety with a practiced ease, he thinks Stephen mutters 'cool' under his breath, the door's swing open and the guards, Agent Johnsons men, pile into the room, he can hear Alice screaming as they grab the boy and carry him away. He chases after them, all the while hoping it wasn't for what he thought it was, he passes a screaming Alice in the corridor, held steady by the guards and she looks at him with a haunted look, he doesn't have any words to offer her as she screams for her son.

They place the boy on a sort of platform in the middle of the room and he stares at Ianto with a terrified gaze, Agent Johnson briefly meets his eyes, pulls them away when her guilt consumes her. Then he see's Jack, eyes full of tears, Ianto stares at him, Jack presses a button on the control panel before him and Ianto goes to scream out but his voice gets stuck in his throat. Alice bangs on the door to the left of him, telling her son to run, the boy just stares with wild eyes and when Jack's eyes meet Ianto's it's almost like he's searching for forgiveness, asking if it's the right thing. Ianto only nods his head because he knows he has to carry part of this for his lover.

The screaming from Alice stops, the frequency that had killed Clem beaming out of the boys lips, Jack stands stoically but the tears leave tracks down his face, his hands clench at his side, a tear tumble's from Agent Johnsons eyes, Decker stands there seemingly amused, Alice, she's silent in the face or something so horrific. He thinks he can feel her heart break and the tears fall from his own eyes as the scene unfolds in front of his arms, he hates that it's for the best and see's Mischa and David where Stephen currently stands.

The screaming stops and Alice bursts in through the doors as the child falls to the floor, Ianto looks away as she scoops him into her arms, begging for him to look at her, screaming his name at the top of her lungs and then just screaming when she knows he's gone. She glances up at Jack and he doesn't need to see it to know of the hate in her eyes. She turns to him, clutching her son's body in her arms, stares at Ianto and through him,

"This is what he'll do to you, he'll destroy everything you love, he'll leave you with nothing, and he won't care. He'll move on and forget, because he can Ianto Jones, he can and he has, more times than you can count." She grips her son's body, screams and cries and Ianto looks up at Jack, nothing in the elders eyes persuades him that what Alice said is not true and he disappears through the doors before anyone can stop him, running through maze like corridors, trying to get the screaming out of his head, to escape the look in Jack's eyes.

He could spend the rest of his life running and never escape that look, he's never seen Jack so broken, so defeated by the world and the people he's fought so hard and long to protect and all he sees when he looks at him is the desire to run, run as fast and far as he can and Ianto can't take him leaving not again. Not after everything that has happened and everything that they've faced, but it's so like Jack to just drop it all and run isn't it, just like Alice said and he knows that it's the truth, he slips to the floor grips his head in hands, feels like screaming into the floor because he never thought that his life would turn out like this.

It's all backwards and it's all wrong and he knows that his dad's turning in his grave, it's the realisation in that moment that he's shielded himself just as much as Jack has, kept the same secrets burning behind his eyes, that convinces him to push himself away from the concrete and the horror in his mind. He walks the corridors with his hands in his pockets and when he sees the other man before him he smiles warmly, walks towards him with all the conviction of a man that believes in his every word and wraps him in his arms, because this is what he needs now, someone to rely on, to be strong for him, to carry the weight of the world for a while whilst he shakes himself off and regroups.

He knows that chances are Jack will run and he'll wait for him to come back, knows it'll break his heart, knows that he'll carry on, do what needs to be done and keep the world turning in the Captain's absence. He hopes that he's enough of a reason for him to stay but he's never really sure of anything where Jack's concerned, it's all just hope and blind faith. They don't speak because there is nothing that Ianto can say to make it all right and there's nothing Jack can say to force the screams from his mind.

It's Alice with her heartbroken stoicism that hurts Jack the most, the way she looks at him with eyes so empty of any emotion, no flickering of love or understanding or even hate in the hazel depths, just an endless void of nothing. He hadn't really expected anything more, he could never make her understand, he had lost so many to 'the good cause' to save the world and it didn't make him more prepared for it than anyone else, it was just a choice that had to be made and he just so happened to be the one that had to make it. He had never meant to destroy her,

"Do you think she's right?" The sudden voice in the silence startles him, that American laced voice like a warm coffee on a cold day; he stares at the Captain who fails to meet his eyes as he continues to talk. "Do you think I'll destroy you Ianto Jones?" He doesn't know what to say to that, but he knows that all Jack is looking for right now is reassurance, is for someone to still have some faith in him.

"I don't think there's enough left," despite the words, he smiles, grips Jack's hand tightly in his own and knows that he couldn't blame him if his Captain ran right now, as much as it would destroy that one little sparkling glimmer of hope buried deep in his heart.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

_Will Jack stay... is Ianto enough... who knows, hope it was ok and that people like the new chapter, I know it feels quite fast paced but well... that was CoE in a nutshell for me lol and I wanted to get out of RTD's turf and onto my own so yay, lol let me know what you thought please _

_Thank you xx_


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